JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Arlington Hills neighborhood is finally getting some much-needed repairs to resolve their street flooding issues on Woolery Drive.
It’s no secret that rain is common in Florida, especially during the summer, but this Arlington neighborhood is tired of rain flooding out its road. News4JAX first reported on the issue a year ago.
Repairs to a culvert have been long overdue, but supply chain delays have been stopping this project from happening. The city of Jacksonville says in August the project to fix street repairs will begin.
News4JAX spoke to Dennis Thibault, who’s lived in the neighborhood for 42 years and purchased flood insurance to protect his property, despite not living in a flood zone.
“We understand there are supply chain issues, but the problem is we’ve heard this time and time again,” Thibault said. “It needs to be resolved one way or another.”
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According to the city, “The system collects stormwater from Woolery Drive and directs it south, under Arble Drive into another rear lot drainage outfall that then directs stormwater east, under Mill Creek Road to Strawberry Creek. Public Works has been working on this project and developed a plan that reconstructs the culvert that crosses under Arble Road to eliminate stormwater flow restriction.”
Councilwoman Joyce Morgan says she empathizes with the residents in her district.
“Any time your constituents or residents, any residents of Jacksonville by the way, are faced with this kind of situation where it’s just been delay after delay, of course, there is so much disappointment and frustration,” Morgan said.
Morgan said she spoke with the public works department and that they said: “they’re on it, they are working on it.”
For now, residents like Thibault are still being cautious and will keep their flood insurance and sandbags as they hope to see changes before the end of the year.